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Hoolahan made his international debut as a substitute during a friendly against Colombia in 2008, but that has proved to be his only cap thus far.

However, the 29-year-old has not given up on making Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad and believes a strong finish to the season could see him chosen.

He told The Dublin Evening Herald: “It's simple really, I just hope that if I keep playing for Norwich, and playing well, the call-up might come.

“I heard that Trapattoni came to Norwich against Wolves the other week. I played well and a few of the papers named me as man of the match so maybe he was impressed.

“I haven't given up hope, you can never stop dreaming.

“Players might pull out, you might have an injury or two and I am realistic enough to know that I would need something like that to happen for me to make the squad.

“The squad that the manager has at the moment is the one he will pick for the finals, that seems fairly clear, but you can never say never.”

The Canaries currently sit 12th in the Premier League, despite only winning one in their last seven, having enjoyed an impressive return to the top flight.

And Hoolahan is certain his side will require the few points necessary to achieve their original target of avoiding the drop.

“At the start of the season, the aim was to stay in the league and if we'd finished a point above the relegation zone, we'd have been reasonably happy," he said.

"But now that we have done so well in the Premier League we want to push on and finish in the top half.

“It's a good place to be now, Norwich. The whole club is buzzing, to have done so well in our first year back in the Premier League is amazing and we're only a win or two away from being automatically safe.

“That's still the main aim. We're not safe yet and securing our place in the Premier League is the main aim.

“But we won't stop playing if and when we achieve safety, we'll keep playing until the last game of the season and try to finish as high as we can.”

The former Blackpool man also expressed satisfaction at a maiden top-fight season in which he has captained his side against Bolton and been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.

He said: “It's probably the best spell I've had in my career, since I went away to Britain at 24 years of age.

“Playing in the Premier League, playing every week and scoring a few goals, it's been a great season for me on a personal level.

“I have a bit of security here as well, I have two years left on my contract.

“I am settled here now, I have been here four years and I love it. It's the longest I have been at a club since I left Shelbourne, so it's good to be settled.

“I got to captain the team as well and that was a big honour, to captain a team in the Premier League in England.”